Kai Zhao is the restaurant manager of Huami at SKYCITY Auckland. He closely works alongside executive chef Jeff Tan, to make sure that all things go smoothly in SKYCITY's newest restaurant.
Kai started his career in hospitality as a waiter for a catering company in 2004. He worked his way up throughout the years before joining the SKYCITY Conventions Centre team in 2011 as a ‘Convention Events and Out-caterings Supervisor’.
Kai has successfully progressed his career within SKYCITY over a few years, having become a Duty Manager at Fortuna, Jade Dragon and the Conventions Centre. “I feel that I’ve been taken care of by SKYCITY. My career has progressed well during my six years of working here and I was given the support and development that I needed.” says Kai.
Over the past few months, Kai had been very busy in ensuring a successful launch of the restaurant in June and is now focused on keeping that momentum.
Briefly describe your current role:
I’m the restaurant manager of Huami. It’s exciting and challenging at the same time. I work alongside with executive chef, Jeff, to make sure everything happens as per our plans. I’m leading a team of around thirty staff on the floor, and five to seven for the bar - around forty staff in total.
What do you enjoy most about your current role:
I enjoy that I have my own input into things and that I have a lot of support from senior management in making business decisions. I enjoy working alongside Jeff and merging the different cultures we have and making sure that our team and concept is setup according to plan. Huami is a new concept, so everything is done from scratch. I enjoy that I have input in bringing the Chinese culture into it to make the restaurant authentic.
I’ve done around forty to fifty interviews and I’ve been able to handpick every single staff to make sure everyone has certain strengths that we need to deliver our promise of an exciting Chinese restaurant to Auckland.
What challenges do you get with your role?
Because this was a brand new restaurant, the challenge I faced was to understand the whole project and concepts of this new restaurant. Many things were uncertain in the planning stage and it was the unknown that was challenging. Over the past months, we had the chance to tackle these challenges as a team. We changed some setups and some of the concepts to make sure our involvement in the project can be improved.
Recruitment was also challenging because it’s really hard to find good staff in the job market. It’s a new Chinese restaurant, and we’re trying to deliver something that people have never seen before.
What did you do before joining SKYCITY?
Before I joined SKYCITY, I opened my own restaurant, Culprit on Wyndham street, Auckland. Before that, I used to work for another organisation for seven years as a Banquet manager so I have a really strong banqueting and convention background.
What do you enjoy about working at SKYCITY?
I feel that I’ve been taken care of by SKYCITY. My career has progressed well during my six years of working here and I was given the support and development that I needed.
What would you say to anyone considering joining your team?
It’s a great opportunity to be part of our new team and to deliver something that New Zealand has never seen before. Jeff and I are working very closely to deliver a contemporary and authentic Chinese restaurant experience to the market and it would be a really great journey for the people that join our team.
Which of SKYCITY’s employee benefits do you enjoy most?
Our staff carparking is really convenient for me because I don’t have to hunt for parking spaces which is especially difficult in the CBD area. The health insurance benefit is also really great.
Is there anything about SKYCITY that makes it different to other work places?
There are lots of opportunities at SKYCITY. For example, the new NZICC (New Zealand International Conference Centre) will open new job opportunities for everyone, including internal staff that are currently working in different areas of our business.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in China and came to New Zealand when I was fifteen so I’ve spent half of my life in New Zealand. I first arrived in Wellington and went to school in Levin, which is a very small town. It was a great opportunity for me to really learn about the Kiwi culture while I lived in a homestay with a very traditional Kiwi family at the time. I then moved to Auckland and I’ve been living here for about thirteen years.
What do you like to do do outside of work?
I enjoy playing basketball with my friends. I also enjoy spending time with my two kids and my lovely wife. Family time is really important for me. In the hospitality industry, you spend lots of time looking after people and I think as a husband and father, looking after my family is as important.
